Oprah Winfrey

A one-woman multi-media empire simultaneously embraced as a relatable "friend" figure by millions of loyal fans, Oprah Winfrey's business acumen and personal accessibility made her one of the most pow...
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Oprah Winfrey, actor Neil Patrick Harris, comedienne Chelsea Handler and actress Scarlett Johansson will be feted by veteran U.S. newswoman Barbara Walters as part of her 2014 10 Most Fascinating People TV special. Last year's broadcast of the annual countdown was billed as the last, because Walters was planning to retire - but bosses at America's ABC network have brought the special back.
A statement from Walters reads: "I was absolutely delighted when ABC approached me to do another year of 10 Most Fascinating People. I know we said last year was our last, but there are just too many fascinating people out there... and you never pass up the opportunity to interview Oprah, Neil, Chelsea or Scarlett."
More names from the list will be announced in the coming weeks, and the most fascinating person of the year will be revealed during the broadcast on 14 December (14).

Model/actress Carmen Electra knew she had made a mistake marrying basketball player Dennis Rodman almost immediately after they exchanged vows in Las Vegas. The former Baywatch star began dating the eccentric sportsman in 1998, shortly after losing her mother, and Electra admits her wild side came out as part of a period of "self-destruction".
Discussing the brief relationship on Oprah Winfrey's Where Are They Now? show, she explains, "I went into self-destruction (mode after losing her mum) and I remember meeting Dennis. Dennis was the life of the party; he was fun. I started drinking. People couldn't understand why I loved him because he had a reputation for being a bad boy and what I saw at the beginning was, sort of, this gentle giant that was in a lot of pain. In a way, we kind of understood each other.
"Our relationship was very passionate. When it was good, it was amazing. And when it was bad, it was the worst."
Electra reveals she had not allowed herself time to mourn her mother's death when she agreed to become Mrs. Rodman in an impromptu ceremony in Sin City after a whirlwind courtship, and she soon regretted walking down the aisle.
The busty beauty continues, "It was so fast, it was so spontaneous and I remember right after (exchanging vows), I felt like, 'Oh God... what did we just do...?'"
Electra realised she had been bottling up the pain of her mother's death while tuning in to an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show and knew then what she had to do.
She adds, "We were probably married for about a year... and I remember I was watching Oprah and she said, 'In order to heal, you have to feel'. And that's when it clicked - I was like, 'I'm not feeling I lost my mum, I'm not feeling that because I have just made my life chaos and blocked that out.'
"I took quite a bit of time and I started working on myself, started getting myself together."
Electra wasn't the only one who thought the marriage was a mistake - Rodman filed for an annulment nine days after the wedding, but they later reconciled and mutually agreed to divorce in 1999.

Filipino singer Charice moved on from the pain and frustration over her father's death by finally 'coming out' as a lesbian. The former Glee star's estranged father, Ricky Pempengco, was stabbed to death in their hometown of Cabuyao City in the Philippines in 2011. Charice had a strained relationship with him after he verbally and physically threatened her mother, who left him to raise her daughter on her own.
During an interview with Oprah Winfrey on her Where Are They Now special on Sunday (19Oct14), Charice revealed she was in a bad place in her life just before she lost her father, explaining, "Before I came out, I was already a mess... when I was performing, it felt like it was a character I was portraying for my mum and for my family to be happy. When my father got murdered, that's when everything fell apart and I got even more depressed."
Charice admitted the tragedy later spurred her on to go public with her sexuality, adding, "Losing my dad, knowing I didn't have any closure - when I went to the funeral, I saw him right there (in the casket) and regretted everything that I wish I could have (said to him). I hadn't talked to him in about 15 or 17 years.
"I took all those feelings and all the pain in me and it made me stronger, telling myself that it's time to stand up and go out there to tell the truth."
Shortly before 'coming out' as a lesbian last year (13), Charice, 22, admits she was preparing for the worst: "That night when I was thinking about 'coming out', I was ready to lose my career and lose my fans. I was confident I wouldn't lose my family because I knew eventually they would understand me.
"At first my mum was angry at me for 'coming out'. Everything is great now. We're best friends. I couldn't ask for more."

Former Glee star Charice has revealed she's slowly becoming a man - but she won't be changing her body. The Filipino star has taped a new interview with Oprah Winfrey, who discovered the singer/actress almost a decade ago, and she told the TV titan she's changing her look to embrace her "male soul".
Charice, who announced she was gay last year (Jun13), insists she'll never follow Cher's son Chaz Bono, who underwent gender reassignment to become a man - but she wants to look like one.
She explains, "I'm not exactly transitioning to a male, but basically my soul is, like, male. But I'm not going to go through that stage where I'm going to change everything - not change my body.
"(I'll) cut my hair and wear boy clothes and everything, but that's all."
Charice also recalled the moment when she realised she was gay, adding, "'I knew when I was five. I was in grade school and I saw this girl and I felt different. I didn't know what it was but I just knew that time, like, it felt special. And when I was 10 I was like, 'Oh, that's it, I'm gay'. I found the word."
The interview will air in America on Sunday (19Oct14)

U.S. President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and members of One Direction were among the stars who paid tribute to Simon Cowell as he picked up a prestigious award at a TV conference in France this week (beg13Oct14). The X Factor mogul accepted the Personality of the Year prize at the MIPCOM entertainment convention, an annual four-day industry event in Cannes, on Tuesday (14Oct14) for changing the face of the TV and music industries.
During his speech, Cowell fought back tears as he paid tribute to his son Eric, and his late father, telling the audience, "This whole year, starting with Eric, has just been glorious. He changed my whole life for the better... I just wish my dad was here."
A tribute video was played with a number of high-profile well-wishers delivering messages of praise to the star.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said in the video, "Simon, you may be known as TV's bad guy but for many decades you've been doing good; boosting Britain's creative industries, our economy and the world of film, music and TV. What you may not have in tact, you certainly have in talent," while TV legend Winfrey added, "He is a master because he has turned honesty into an art form."
Others featured in the video include U.S. President Obama, members of One Direction, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, movie boss Harvey Weinstein, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, filmmaker Richard Curtis and supermodel Heidi Klum.
During his keynote speech at the conference on Monday (13Oct14), Cowell revealed he is determined to bring The X Factor back to American TV, branding the U.S. show's cancellation earlier in the year (14) a "mistake".

Actress Raven-Symone has credited her latest role as a college student with giving her a new lease of life after enrolling in the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. The former The Cosby Show child star reveals she is embracing every aspect of life on campus and is enjoying having the opportunity to study all things creative.
In a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, the 28 year old says, "I'm going to college. It's given me a new lease on life...
"(I'm studying) art. I wanna take jewellery (design), I take sculpting, I take printmaking, I take figure-drawing."
And Symone admits she is proud to be back at school after successfully avoiding the pitfalls of growing up a child star.
She adds, "I want to turn over the stereotype of what I can become, and to me it (studying art) is just another extension of what I did when I was younger...
"(I'm proud) that I made it out (of Hollywood), in the sense of I'm about to be 30, I don't have a (criminal) record...! I'm good... I'm not an addict of any kind, except of new adventures."

Former The Cosby Show sweetheart Raven-Symone has finally opened up about her sexuality in a revealing new OPRAH WINFREY interview, but insists she doesn't want to be labelled gay.
The actress sparked rumors she was a lesbian in 2013 when she wrote a cryptic message on Twitter.com celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to support gay marriage by striking down the Defense of Marriage Act. She wrote, "I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you." She refused to elaborate, but now Symone explains that although she is proud of being in a country where people of the same sex can marry in several states, she is not comfortable with labels about her sexuality or ethnicity.
She tells Oprah, "(The message on twitter) was my way of saying, I'm proud of the country. But I will say that I am in an amazing, happy relationship with my partner, a woman... (and) I am proud to be who I am and what I am... "I don't want to be labeled gay, I want to be labeled a human who loves humans. I'm tired of being labeled. I'm an American. I'm not an African-American. I'm an American. "I don't know where my roots go to. I don't know how far back they go... I don't know what country in Africa I'm from. But I do know that my roots are in Louisiana. I'm an American. That's a colorless person. We're all people. I have lots of things running through my veins. "I have darker skin. I have a nice, interesting grade of hair. I can connect with Caucasian, I connect with Asian, I connect with black, I connect with Indian. I connect with each culture."

Oprah Winfrey headed to London to support Lindsay Lohan at a performance of Speed-The-Plow.
The media mogul, who mentored Lohan last year (13) and gave the actress her own reality TV series, jetted to the British capital to show her support as the Mean Girls star made her West End debut in David Mamet's satire. Winfrey attended a performance of the show at the Playhouse Theatre on Saturday night (04Sep14) along with 12 Years A Slave actress Lupita Nyong'o.
Lohan posted a picture on her Instagram.com page showing herself posing backstage with Winfrey, adding in the caption, "The definition of a blessing. Thank you @oprah and @Lupita_Nyongo for seeing the show tonight (sic). Love you xx." She also took to Twitter.com to thank the stars for their support and she described Winfrey as her "fairy godmother".
Lohan's performance in the play was well received by critics following opening night on Thursday (02Oct14).

Director Steve Mcqueen, veteran musician Harry Belafonte and TV titan Oprah Winfrey were among those honoured at Harvard University for their contributions to African-American culture. Belafonte, Winfrey and 12 Years A Slave director McQueen were feted at a ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Tuesday (30Sep14) by officials at the school's Hutchins Center for African and African American Research.
The W.E.B. Du Bois Medals, which were given to eight individuals this year (14), are Harvard's highest honour in the field of African and African American Studies.
In addition to Belafonte, McQueen and Winfrey, other winners included Grey's Anatomy and Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes and movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
Winfrey also accepted a posthumous award on behalf of her good friend and late poet Maya Angelou, who died earlier this year (14).

Nate Berkus, the interior designer who Oprah Winfrey helped become a TV regular, is set to become a dad. Berkus and and his husband Jeremiah Brent have revealed they are expecting a baby via a surrogate.
The couple made the big announcement on the designer's Facebook page, writing, "We have had the most special year and its (sic) JUST become even more beautiful. We are happy to announce that we are expecting our first child! While we can't share much, we can say that thanks to a surrogate and the support of those we love we will officially be a family in the spring of 2015!"
The couple wed in May (14).

Title

Invested $40 million and much of her time establishing the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls near Johannesburg in South Africa (opened in January)

Starred in and produced an adaptation of Toni Morrison's novel "Beloved"

Moved to Baltimore; worked as TV feature reporter and co-anchor for WJZ-TV

Moved to Chicago; hosted own half-hour TV show "AM Chicago"

Finished a marathon (26.2 miles) alongside trainer Bob Greene

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" picked up for national syndication; premiered in syndication on September 8

Raised on grandmother's farm in Mississippi

Won Miss Black Tennesee pageant

Served as executive producer of the ABC remake of "David and Lisa"

Hosted first TV special "A Star-Spangled Celebration"

Co-hosted morning talk show "People Are Talking"

"AM Chicago" expanded to one hour and renamed "The Oprah Winfrey Show"

Went to live with father in Nashville, TN where she became an honor student and joined drama club

Executive produced another popular TV movie "Amy & Isabelle" (ABC)

Executive produced the ABC miniseries "The Wedding," adapted from the novel by Dorothy West

Portrayed LaJoe Rivers in "There Are No Children Here" (ABC)

Renewed contract with King World to continue talk show through the year 2000

Began regular segment "Oprah's Book Club"

Signed on with Simon & Schuster to pen a book about weight control, reportedly receiving more than $12 million

Stayed in Amarillo, TX for six weeks, defending herself in $10 million libel suit brought by a group of cattlemen over some offhand remarks uttered on her talk show; she won in a victory for the First Amendment

Landed second film role as Mrs. Thomas, the mother of an accused murderer in "Native Son"

Appeared as a therapist on the celebrated "coming out" episode of "Ellen" (ABC)

Voiced Gussy the goose in live-action/computer-animated feature film "Charlotte's Web"

Competed in Miss Black America pageant

Began honoring everyday heroes on her talk show via the "Use Your Life" award

In July, announced joint venture with Hearst Magazines to publish new magazine aimed at women and covering spiritual issues

At start of 13th season on TV, introduced "change your life television" featuring numerous guests culled from the ranks of self-help authors; also debuted a new theme to show "Run On," which she sang lead vocals; also began Oprah's Angel Network

Started as radio reporter while still a Nashville high school student

Executive produced and acted on the short-lived ABC spin-off series "Brewster Place"

At age 19, became the first black anchor on Nashville's WVOL nightly newscast; later moved to the CBS affiliate WTFV-TV (1975)

Renewed contract with King World to continue hosting talk show through 1997; signed deal with Capital Cities/ABC Inc to provide primetime programming beginning in the 1996-97 TV season; signed multi-picture deal with Walt Disney Company and announced firs

Executive produced the highly-rated TV-movie "Oprah Winfrey Presents: Tuesdays With Morrie" (ABC); won Emmy as Outstanding Made for Television Movie

Teamed with Tyler Perry to produce the drama "Precious," a movie based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Executive produced and acted in the TV movie "Women of Brewster Place" (ABC)

Signed a three-year, $55 million deal to debut a new XM Satellite Radio channel titled "Oprah & Friends"; channel aired programming related to fitness, health, and self-improvement

Executive produced "Michael Jackson Talks...To Oprah – 90 Primetime Minutes With the King of Pop" (ABC)

Announced plans to end highly rated "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2011 after 25 years

Assumed ownership and production of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" through Harpo Productions

In March, signed deal to remain with "The Oprah Winfrey Show" through the 2005-06 season

Summary

A one-woman multi-media empire simultaneously embraced as a relatable "friend" figure by millions of loyal fans, Oprah Winfrey's business acumen and personal accessibility made her one of the most powerful and beloved figures in America. Winfrey's daytime television staple "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (syndicated, 1986-) was the number one daytime talk show for over 20 years, and positioned Winfrey as a powerful, inspiring, voice unafraid to be candid about her own personal hurdles to encourage women to rise above setbacks and reach their own potential. Winfrey's heartfelt agenda spilled over into her film career; both as a producer of inspirational stories of women courageously rising from adversity, and with her own Academy Award-nominated performance in the screen adaptation of Alice Walker's "The Color Purple" (1985). Through her many philanthropic efforts, including Oprah's Angel Network and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, Winfrey generated millions of dollars to improve the lives of women, children and minorities. Meanwhile, the cultural tastemaker's stamp of approval or disapproval could turn the classic John Steinbeck novel <i>East of Eden</i> into a bestseller or elicit fear from the critiqued beef industry. Exposure on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" helped launch the careers of several lucky recipients, including counselor Dr. Phil McGraw, financial guru Suze Orman and no-frills chef Rachael Ray. With Winfrey's <i>O: The Oprah Magazine</i>, her television and film production studios, her multiple Emmys and NAACP Image Awards, she expanded commonly held notions of how far both women and African-Americans could go in the entertainment arena, and was deemed one of the most influential women in the world.

Name

Role

Comments

Patricia

Half-Sister

Winfrey revealed January 2011 that she had recently learned she had a half-sister whom her mother, Vernita Lee had hidden from her for decades; Patricia was given up for adoption in Milwaukee, WI by Winfrey's mother in 1963

Tesh confirmed they dated for a short time when they were both reporters in Nashville, TN after their relationship was revealed in the unauthorized biography of Oprah by Kitty Kelley April 2010

Vernon Winfrey

Father

Was never married to Oprah's mother

Zelma Winfrey

Step-Mother

Died 1996

Education

Name

Tennessee State University

Tennessee State University

East Nashville High School

Tennessee State University

Notes

The name Oprah was an accidental misspelling of the Biblical character Orpah.

Winfrey stated that she was molested by her cousin, uncle, and a family friend, starting when she was nine years old. She gave birth at the age of 14, to a boy who died shortly after.

Her website address was www.oprah.com.

She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Morehouse College in 1989.

Winfrey was a partial owner of the Granite Broadcasting Corporation (1991).

"I'm glad I was raised in Mississippi at a time when being colored and female meant [low] expectations. Now I'm grateful for my days of emptying slop jars, hauling water from the well and going to the outhouse and thinking I was going to fall in. It makes walking through the house with the many bathrooms and marble floors and great view that much better."

"I was never in a relationship with anybody who hit me, but I remember a relationship in my 20s where he left and said he wasn't coming back, and I was on the floor crying and pleading. I thought, 'I'm no different from a battered woman.' I kept a journal at the time, and not too long ago, [after] reading it, I sat in my closet and wept for the woman I used to be." – Winfrey to USA Today, May 15, 1997

In June 1997, Winfrey took the unusual step of issuing a statement denying rumors that she was gay. The rumors began when syndicated columnist Liz Smith wrote a blind item about one of the biggest and longest-running TV stars, "an icon and role model" who was contemplating revealing his or her homosexuality (as Ellen DeGeneres had). Many thought the item referred to Winfrey and the TV talk show host felt she needed to address the issue, particularly as, in her words, "legitimate" news organizations were approaching her for comment.

"We brought Oprah in and we booked two very difficult segments. You'd really have to have some moxie to handle these guests. I had the feed piped into my office. I'm watching this and I'm thinking, 'Holy smokes, I can't be this lucky. She's just a natural television performer.'"

"Oprah can ask questions that other people ask and get their face slapped. There's also a vulnerability about Oprah. She was a black female in what was at the time a white male dominated business. She was overweight. She wasn't famous." – Dennis Swanson, who hired Winfrey to host a morning show for Chicago's WLS-TV quoted in Daily News, Jan. 28, 1998

In December 2006, Winfrey ranked No. 7 in The Hollywood Reporter's 15th annual "Women in Entertainment Power 100" list.

On October 16, 2007, Winfrey revealed that she was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder that made her gain 20 pounds.

Winfrey invested $40 million and some of her time establishing the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls near Johannesburg, South Africa. The school opened in January 2007.